Beginnings 2: Rise of the Keyblade
by tsukiryoushi
Summary: Fifteen years after the worlds became seperate, young Mickey Mouse will discover his future as a king and destiny as a Key Bearer. But meanwhile, the young sorceress Maleficent is conspiring against the forces of good in search of ultimate power...
1. Prologue

Well, this is my long-coming sequel to my story "Beginnings." I hope you all like it!

(I own nothing)

Prologue-

_Millicent slowly turned to face Merlin, and frowned sadly. "Don't you see? It's too late now. This is who I am, and I cannot change that. I don't want to. But, Merlin, it doesn't mean my feelings for you have changed. Come with me, and we'll escape this cataclysm that's coming. The world may end, but we can survive it. You and I… we'll never have to answer to anyone else. We'll never need anyone but each other." _

_Merlin looked sadly at Millicent, and lowered his hand. "I can't do that Millicent. I can't forsake the world just to protect myself. I won't turn my back on all I believe in." _

_Millicent looked as though she had just been hit in the chest by a hammer, and that was exactly how she felt. "I see… Then I do not mean as much to you as I thought." _

_"You still mean the world to me. But I can't watch you go down such a dark road. Please Millicent… Let's go back to the way we were. You can go back to your old self… back to me." _

_Millicent chocked back tears, as she clenched her fists. "Do not… call me… Millicent…" she growled. Suddenly, she turned to Merlin, and her eyes became completely lifeless. "Why can't you understand? Why doesn't anyone understand?! I am not Millicent anymore! I… am…_ **Maleficent!!!**_" _

---

Merlin awoke with a start, and sat up in his bed. This was the fifth time this week he'd had that same nightmare… the same one that haunted his sleeping mind ever since that awful night fifteen years ago.

"Why has it been getting worse?" he asked himself. He looked over to Archimedes birdhouse and was glad to hear his familiar snoring.

Deciding it would be pointless to try and sleep any longer, Merlin got up and put on his long blue robe, but didn't tie it, so that his white pants and bare chest were still visible. He paused to give a quick glance into his mirror.

_I'm definitely not seventeen anymore, _he thought as he looked at his reflection. Oh of course, he wasn't quite old, yet. He was only thirty-two, after all. Still, he was definitely not a young lad, anymore. Already his eyes were losing their blue luster, becoming darker and beadier. His hair was slightly longer, but he was acutely aware that his hairline had receded, even the slightest bit, and his face had become careworn. He rubbed his jaw, feeling the stubble of a beard. He was forgetting to shave more often than before. He was wondering if maybe he should just grow a beard.

Giving himself a small chuckle, Merlin turned away from the mirror and walked out the door of his small cottage to enjoy the warm summer night.

Living deep in the woods, where few entered for fear of wolves, afforded Merlin privacy, but he wished now as he looked up at the small patch of sky not blocked by trees that he could see more stars.

_Not just stars, but worlds, _he reminded himself. _Each star is a world, in and of itself._

Looking up at the few stars he could see, Merlin wondered which star—which world—was now _her_ home.

---

Silently, a lone figure made its way through the empty streets of Agrabah, headed for the city gates. The figure found it guarded, as always, but was able to slip past through a secret entrance, and snuck out into the desert.

"I don't see why we gotta go to all this trouble," a voice whispered. "Just who are we going to meet, anyway?"

"An old friend," the figure replied.

Out of the figure's robes came a red parrot, which flew up to perch on his pointed shoulder. "I still don't see why we gotta meet this friend of yours in the dead of night out in the stinkin' desert!"

"Patience, Iago, Patience," the figure chided. He was a tall, but oddly slender man in his thirties. He wore flowing black and red robes, a large turban, and had a thin goatee on his long face. In his hands he carried a staff which resembled a snake.

"Hello, Jafar," a smooth, quiet voice said, and Jafar turned to see a woman standing behind him. He had no idea how she had snuck up on him, but he recognized her right away.

"It's been a long time," he said with a smile. "Fifteen years, if I'm not mistaken."

"Indeed it has," the woman replied. She was also tall and slender, and wore a long, flowing black dress trimmed with purple. Her sleeves and the hem of her skirt fell to the ground, and her shaped like fire. Her collar rose high on her neck, and reminded one of bat wings, while her black hair was cut very short. But what Jafar recognized most were her pale green skin and yellow eyes.

"Who's this freak?" Iago asked, only to be knocked off of Jafar's shoulder by a raven, which swooped down and landed on the woman's shoulder.

"Thank you, Diablo," she said as she pet the bird tenderly. "Forgive my pet, he dislikes other birds."

"Yeah, I can see that," Iago grumbled as he got back onto Jafar's shoulder.

"You've certainly changed quite a bit since we last met," Jafar continued. "I understand you have come to make me an offer? Something about a special 'mission.' Isn't that right…? Millicent?"

The woman smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, that is correct. But please… call me Maleficent. And I have a proposition for you."


	2. Dive into the Heart, a Mouse's Destiny

Okay, here's the next chapter, at long last.

But here we get to see something I bet you'll all like. How a certain mouse's life as a keybearer began. Enjoy!

(Kingdom Hearts belongs to Disney/Square-Enix, not me.)

Chapter 1-

Gently, quietly, he floated down through the darkness. He felt the air rushing past his large, round ears, and felt his thin tail flap about in the wind as he seemingly sank down from the shadows, and finally came to stand on what seemed to be solid ground, though it was just as dark and black as everything around him.

Then, without warning, the darkness below his feet began to break away in a million pieces which flew away as doves. He looked down at the ground below him to see he was standing on a platform that resembled a round stained glass window. On it was an image of a young woman with blond hair, wearing a blue cloak and hood and holding a wand. On her back were two fairy wings, and behind her was the image of a pumpkin.

_What is this place? _He thought to himself.

Just then, he heard a voice. Or, to be more precise, it wasn't exactly a voice so much as a thought that wasn't his own. The words came clearly to him, as though he were reading a book, yet no one seemed to be speaking to him.

_Step forward, _the voice said. _Can you do it?_

Uncertain, he obeyed and stepped forward. Before him, a pedestal rose from the ground, and on it appeared a sword. On either side of him, two more pedestals rose up, and on these were a shield and a wand. On each of these items was a strange, 'D', curled in such a way that it looked like someone's own handwriting. Whose handwriting it was he could not say, but it was incredibly familiar to him. He reached out and picked up the sword by its hilt.

_The power of the warrior, _the voiceless voice said to him as he gazed at the blade. _Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?_

He nodded, and the sword disappeared in a flash.

Suddenly, the wand and shield disappeared, and the platform shattered. He plunged down into the darkness once more. Softly, he landed on another platform. On this one was the image of a young man with white hair wearing a blue robe. On his shoulder was an owl, and behind him was a large stone with a sword stuck in it.

Suddenly, the sword from before appeared in his hand.

_You've gained the power to fight. Use this power to protect yourself and others…_

As if on cue, dozens of small, shadowy beings appeared, as though they were born of the shadows themselves.

_There will be times when you have to fight. Keep your light burning strong._

The shadows attacked, but he fought back with the sword, slicing into the first few creatures, then bringing the blade down on the heads of others, and swinging the sword at the rest in a large ark.

Then, as the shadows disappeared, a long, winding stairway appeared, leading to another far off platform. That was his next destination.

Once there, he saw that this one had the image of a woman with green skin who wore a black dress. Perched on her finger was a raven, and behind her was the shadow of a large reptilian beast.

_The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes._

At these words, he turned to look back at his shadow, which had indeed grown. But, oddly enough, it rose from the ground and took a form of its own.

_But don't be afraid. And don't forget…_

The shadow grew to an enormous size, and took on a frightening form. He gripped the sword tightly and jumped to attack the creature, but just as he attacked it, the ground opened up and he found himself sinking into the darkness again.

…_Don't forget… You hold the mightiest weapon of all…_

---

Slowly, he awoke to the sound of rushing waters and sat up to find himself on the banks of Timeless River. A look around proved to him that he was indeed once again in his safe, familiar, black and white home.

"Mickey!"

At the sound of his name being called, the mouse turned around to see a familiar figure waving to him.

"Mickey! What are you doing lazing around like that?" Minnie called with a giggle.

"Gosh," Mickey replied with a chuckle, "I guess I just dozed off."

Minnie walked over as he stood up, and she giggled again. "Better not let Captain Pete catch you sleeping when you're supposed to be working."

"Aw, don't worry about me, Minnie. I ain't afraid of ol' Pete. Only…"

"Only what?"

Mickey scratched his head, finding it hard to describe the things he'd seen in his dream. "Nothin', I just had a weird dream is all."

Minnie just smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Well, anyway, we'd better hurry. Donald and Goofy are expecting us."

Mickey nodded again, and the two set off hand in hand.

---

Mickey and Minnie soon found their friends resting on a nearby hill. Goofy was sound asleep, stretched out on the ground, while Donald stood tapping his webbed foot.

"It's about time you got here!" he quacked.

Goofy slowly awoke and gave a yawn. "Oh, howdy, Mick! Hiya, Minnie!"

"Hey, Fellas," Mickey greeted back. "Sorry we're so late."

"Aw, it's okay," Goofy reassured. "Anyway, we got everything set up!" Donald nodded and motioned to a picnic set up nearby, laid out with all kinds of delicious foods.

"It looks great!" Minnie cheered.

"Yeah," Mickey agreed. "But we can't start without Plut—whoa!" Right on cue, Pluto ran up and tackled his master and began to lick his face. "Okay, boy, okay!" Mickey laughed, and everyone else joined in.

---

After the picnic, the gang sat back to watch the sunset. Minnie and Mickey sat close together, Minnie resting her head on Mickey's shoulder, as the white sun sank down against the light grey sky which turned steadily darker and darker. The horizon was a dazzling shade of white as the sun finally set, and finally night had fallen and the sky was alive with millions of twinkling white stars against a pitch-black sky. Now it was time for the meteor shower.

"Look, there's one!" Goofy called as a shooting star zipped across the sky.

"And one over there!" Donald pointed to another.

"Isn't this great?" Mickey asked his friends. "Just the five of us, watching the stars. Who could ask for anything more?"

Minnie nodded and leaned against him with a contented sigh. Mickey smiled as he watched the falling stars. By now, his strange dream was all but forgotten.


End file.
